Photos: Epic Mount Baldy

May 20, 2012

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Race Leader Dave Zabriskie

American rider Dave Zabriskie of Garmin-Barracuda rode into the race lead with a dominating time-trial win on Stage 5 but everyone wondered, would he be able to keep the yellow jersey after the super-steep Mount Baldy climb that ends Stage 7?

Cycling's hardman Jens Voigt of the RadioShack-Nissan team leads a breakaway during the opening miles of Stage 7 of the Tour of California. It was a big move that contained four RadioShack-Nissan riders, including defending champion Chris Horner. That alone gave the Garmin and BMC teams a reason to get serious about chasing.

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The Commissaire

The chief commissaire, or race referee, keeps a close eye on the riders to make sure there is no illegal riding and that the athletes compete fairly during a very hot Stage 7.

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The Garmin Express

Race leader Dave Zabriskie, here in the yellow jersey, was well protected by his Garmin-Barracuda teammates so that he could save all his energy for the steep climb up Mount Baldy.

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Horner Puts on a Show

After his disappointing time-trial performance on Stage 5 in Bakersfield, American Chris Horner (RadioShack-Nissan) went for broke by attacking early on Stage 7 with a dozen riders. The 40-year-old forced the pace so hard that riders began to drop from the break, and toward the end of the day it was just Horner and John Atapuma of Colombia.

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Queen of Stages

Stage 7 of the seventh Tour of California from Ontario to Mount Baldy was not long but featured lots of climbing in near-100-dregree heat.

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Up Close to the Action

Few sports allow fans to get up close to the athletes the way cycling does. On Stage 7, many cyclists pedaled their bikes to the steeper pitches of the climbs to see the riders fight gravity and try to survive the day.
Related: 5 Best Ways to Watch a Bicycle Race in Person

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Big George Suffers for the Team

American rider George Hincapie of the BMC Racing Team put in a massive effort on Stage 7 to help team leader Tejay van Garderen.

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The Garmin Guys Put the Hammer Down

Garmin-Barracuda domestiques worked tirelessly to bring back the dangerous break for their team leaders, Dave Zabriskie and Tom Danielson.

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Roadside Support

Cycling fans came out in large numbers to support the riders as they suffered in the heat and on the steep climbs during Stage 7.

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Levi Keeps Fighting

American rider Levi Leipheimer of Omega Pharma–Quick-Step hung tough on Stage 7 to finish well up in the results. About six weeks earlier he suffered a broken leg during a training ride when he was struck by a car—hence the kinesio tape.
Related: Wrap It Up With Kinesio Tape

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To Baldy or Bust

The breakaway of 13 riders, including Chris Horner and Jens Voigt, makes its way toward the Stage 7 finish at the much-feared and super-steep Mount Baldy.

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Habemus Papam

It's not unusual for devout cycling fans to dress up in costumes and cheer from the roadside.

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BMC Drives the Chase

The American BMC team put all its effort into setting up its young star, Tejay van Garderen, for the big finishing climb on Mount Baldy. Here, the team pushes the pace under a King of the Mountains banner to bring back a RadioShack-Nissan-led breakaway.

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Rabobank Comes Alive

The bright colors of the Dutch Rabobank team came to the sharp end of the chasing pack to help set up its ace climber, Robert Gesink.

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Horner's Show Comes to an End

After initiating and driving the day's dangerous break, Chris Horner was finally dropped on the climb of Mount Baldy by John Atapuma of the Colombia-Coldeportes team.

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Gesink Bests the Rest

Though the big teams of the race like BMC and Garmin-Barracuda rode strongly to deliver their leaders in good position all the way to Mount Baldy, the climb was so steep that it essentially became a man-to-man battle to see who could climb the best. Robert Gesink proved he was simply the strongest.

The race leader going into Stage 7, Dave Zabriskie fought hard on the steep slopes of Mount Baldy, but he conceded his yellow jersey by the end to the climbing talents of Dutchman Peter Gesink. It meant yet another second place for the American in the Tour of California, but he would at least go home with one stage victory in the time trial—and knowing that he fought as hard as he could to win the overall.

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Horner Pays for His Epic Breakaway

American Chris Horner, who won the Tour of California in 2011, attacked early on Stage 7 with a dozen riders. He rode so hard that he was left with just one escapee at the foot of Mount Baldy. Here, the exhausted defending champion tries to stay upright after crossing the finish line atop Mount Baldy.

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Tejay Takes a Moment

Tejay van Garderen must have been disappointed with his 10-place finish on Mount Baldy, 1 minute 22 seconds down on stage winner Peter Gesink, which meant he would finish fourth overall in the race. Van Garderen had been looking to win the overall this year after taking fifth last year, but with his talent it's a question of when, not if, the young American will take his first serious stage-race victory. He'll now look to the Tour de France, where he will ride in support of defending champ and BMC captain Cadel Evans.

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